Thanks for your helpfulness, Vera--the link isn't appearing in your post. If you see this again, would you please repost? Thanks! I was also wondering what effect the presence of domesticated birds like guineas has on songbirds and other wild birds, including a flock of crows. I've got quite a menagerie that visits my feeder, and they probably already help to some extent with suppressing Japanese beetles and other bugs, and I'd hate to scare them off. Your comments about guineas being noisy made me think of that. Thanks again, Janice

Lisa. . . Oh, the wrens are territorial all right. .I just put up a bunch of houses and let them decide who housed where. It seems to me that their territory gets smaller with the increase of wren population. I have tons of wrens existing together. The males who choose to have a couple "wives" keep them close together. In a hosta garden there is always plenty for the dinner table so they are happy. I do place several water baths around though. Now the bluebirds are a different story. . I have one in the northeast side of the house, one behind the barn, and one in my main hosta garden. . the males will kill each other if they push a territory. I haven't seen a bluebird feed a slug. . but it is possible they do. I have seen the wrens do it and with fervor and frequency. . .lol Just make sure you do not bother the wren houses while they are nesting. They will think another bird did it and will go out and poke holes in the eggs of other birds. I learned that the hard way. Janice, I can do one better. . here are some links I used making my toad houses. . you can go simple or really have fun getting involved. They have some great pictures, too. My grandkids loved it. I had four of my grandkids and my brother bought over three of his for me to watch (that cost him a couple hostas. . lol) I put their energy to work making toad houses. .what fun we had that day. They not only gave me valued toad houses but kept me laughing with lines like, I "toad" you so Robby! It was great fun! Check these links out. . they are short reading and lots of fun and info. We did not make a house big enough for Don's monster though. . lol http://www.projectwildlife.org/gardens_toadhouse.htm http://dnr.wi.gov/org/caer/ce/eek/cool/ameliatoadhouse.htm http://www.craftygardener.ca/garden15.html http://hobbies.suite101.com/article.cfm/easy_to_make_toad_houses http://www.learn2grow.com/projects/forchildren/outdoors/ToadAbode.aspx http://www.ehow.com/how_2074150_make-toad-house.html

wrens are the smallest of the nesting birds you probably will get and they can squeeze into a 1 inch hole. The chickadees and nuthatches a inch 1/4 or 1 1/2 hole. you can compare the sizes of the birds you get but there is not a lot of size difference in wrens and chickadees. bluebirds would need a little bigger house. if you can compare nests from last year you could see if the nest would fit in the house. the hole guards are to keep woodpeckers or squirrels or others from enlargeing the holes. I have seen woodpeckers enlarge a hole and use the house. A lid from a tin can with a hole in the center is used and tacked on. and can be painted to match the bird house. I don't get the tits or redpoles or some of the small birds from back east. also each variety of birds make different nests some with twigs and others with straw or grass or woodpeckers often sawdust. The bluebirds we get like to use hay or straw and bits of string or yarn or the stringy bark from cedar or juniper trees. I know some people here hinge the lid or front of the birdhouse so they can open it. not only to clean but also if the wrong birds try to nest say a wren with twigs they remove the nest and hope to get a different bird before the egg laying begins. Just because the hole is bigger does not mean the wrens won't try to use it. They are mean little birds and will kill babys or destroy nests of other birds.

Lil' update- Yes, I am suspecting more than one culprit. As of today there may only be one. This am my neighbor found a LARGE feral cat in a leg trap(yes, leg traps are used widely out here- I don't like them, but other's use them). That cat will not be killing any more of anything. (now don't get pissy with me- It wasn't my home where this was caught- I might have tried to save the cat, but there isn't anywhere that would take a feral here.....no Humane Society or rescue, etc). As soon as I can get some muscle help, will lift the coop with the tractor and see 'what' might be living under it. (if it is a rattler it WILL say Hello to a 22g). One down, one to go....